Natural Bridge Caverns

The grounds here are beautiful, and the caverns are gorgeous. The parking lot is ample, with plenty of tree-lined spaces. Ramps are in place for those in wheel chairs or those who have mobility issues. Picnic tables dot the outskirts of the closer parking spots, too!

The ticket office is located to the left after entering the visitor center. Also in the center is a gift shop with some very nice things. Other buildings include another gift shop and a small restaurant/snack shop.

There is a zip-line ride in the middle of the park, too! You just walk up several flights of stairs to the top and then ride the zip line down in a spiral path to the bottom. It looks really easy, something that almost anyone can do!

The restaurant offers bottled water and other libations. Lots of candy bars and snacks line the walls. We ordered a brisket sandwich and paid 10 dollars for a junior-sized bun that had been over-microwaved, so it had the consistency of unchewable rubber, and the meat was absolutely tasteless and dry. Along with that overpriced piece of hockey puck bread was a serving of Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce and a serving of pickled cucumbers and onions, which were good but not enough to rescue the most horrible sandwich I have ever had. Seriously. I ended up throwing away the entire bun after scraping off most of the tasteless meat and eating that. I would expect all their buns and rolls to be microwaved and all their meat dry and tasteless, so I would recommend NOT buying any food here except for candy bars and bottled water.

Food is not the reason for our visit to the caverns, though: we came to see the underground formations, and they were worth it. The tour takes about an hour and 10 minutes, and the walk is very easy, even for someone with balance issues and a walking stick like me. The only challenge is that the smooth paths are not 100 percent flat, so when turning sharp corners, the handrails don't always meet, and you might have to feel a little less secure just for a second. Just about anyone can hack the walks: the trails are not too steep and not strenuous at all. The innermost caverns are very, very humid and hot, so be prepared with lighter clothes than other caverns. (For example: Mammoth Cave and Carlsbad Caverns are around 58 degrees year round, but the Natural Bridge Caverns are very warm, around 70 degrees Fahrenheit with 100 percent humidity so that it feels like 80+ degrees! If you get overheated easily, it will not be pleasant.)

You can get some great photographs in this cavern, and the staff is very friendly. The gift shop offers nice wares, and the facilities are beautiful, too. These things, along with easy walking and tourist-friendly amenities (except for the horrible food), make it an excellent choice for everyone, even those with children and older adults.